North Carolina whitewater, Swannanoa River

Buncombe
county,
Main Bridge In Swannanoa to Azalea section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

CLASS I-II 8.6 miles

The beautiful scenery of North Carolina and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water make the trip here worthwhile. The put-in is not too far from Asheville, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. A bit of exercise and just hanging out with mother nature are great attractions for lots of people. The campgrounds here at Swannanoa River are pretty good. Since you're on this site you are probably

into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way in this general area you'll find lots of paddling places. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in North Carolina tend to be more forgiving than the national average, so you'd

better keep in mind that quite a few of the sections in this state are pretty easy. No shortage of good hotels, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. This stretch of Swannanoa River is 8.6 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class I-II section. On this section you do get some distance, it's good length for a morning trip. The Blue Ridge Mountains scenery is wonderful. This river system has

a few good paddling stretches and the Main Bridge In Swannanoa to Azalea section is one of them.

Briefly about the general area: The Side Hill Trail is a great hiking trail near Swannanoa River, and Pisgah National
Forest is a glorious location. Yep, outdoors amusing stuff truly is plentiful here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wilson Cove is near Swannanoa River and is a good place, and you'll perhaps meet some folks from Swannanoa here.
This river is so good. If time allows, Blue Ridge Parkway is a national park worth a visit. All the water falling down from the sky makes Swannanoa River a wet site.